November 3, 2010 - The mid-term elections are over and it's time to focus on something that is critical to our industry.  As many of you know, the motocross community is facing possible extinction if we don't get under one umbrella.  The age old question of how long can we sit on our hands and do nothing is about to be answered for us.  Please take a moment to read this message.  This is not a scare tactic ..... it's real and about to happen.  After you read through this, there will be important links for you to follow.
 
As for the lead law (Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008), it was signed into law by President Bush in 2008 and only one Representative voted against it (Ron Paul).  Many of the Representatives and Senators thought they were just trying to protect kids from toys with lead paint from China.  However, as you know, this law has affected many industries including the youth-model motorcycles and ATV industry.

The time is now to be engaged.  We must amend the CPSIA in the next Congress, which begins Jan. 3, 2011.  The AMA endorses H.R.1587, introduced by Rep. Denny Rehberg (R-MT), which exempts youth-model motorcycles, ATVs and snowmobiles from the lead provisions of the CPSIA.  Rehberg will probably reintroduce this same bill in the next Congress with a new bill number.  You need to now contact your local Congress rep and request for them to co-sponsor this bill when it is reintroduced.  The AMA will try and move it as a stand alone bill, but it will more than likely be attached as an amendment to another bill.

In the meantime, the AMA is working the issue regarding the stay of enforcement issued by the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC).  Currently the stay is set to expire Feb. 11 for testing and May 1 for distributing, selling and repairing.  This means that come May 1, 2011 no more youth bikes or ATV's will be available in the US nor will you be able to purchase parts for the existing machines in the public.  Essentially, youth participation in our industry will stop.
 
What you need to do is to ask your Congress rep in the House to send a congressional letter either alone or with other members of Congress to the CPSC Chairman and Commissioners urging them to consider extending the stay of enforcements until Congress has the opportunity to amend the CPSIA legislatively.  In the letter, your Congressional representative can stress that this is a safety issue and that without the properly sized vehicle available to purchase, many parents will purchase a vehicle too large for their children.  This is the same reason the CPSC used to justify the current stays.
 
Please take a moment to use this link to contact your US Congress Representative from your home district.
www.ama-cycle.org and follow these instructions:

From the home page of the AMA, click on "RIGHTS", then "Issues & Legislation."  From here you have options.  To find your Representative you can enter your Zip Code under the link for "Key Votes."  The important part to remember is to contact your Congress rep.  The bill has to make it past the House of Representatives before going onto the Senate.  Once you find your rep include the verbiage "ask your Congress rep in the House to send a congressional letter either alone or with other members of Congress to the CPSC Chairman and Commissioners urging them to consider extending the stay of enforcements until Congress has the opportunity to amend the CPSIA legislatively.  Don't forget to request that your Congress rep co-sponsor the bill.
 
To view the HR1587 bill click here:
http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c111:H.R.1587:
 
To join the Facebook page go to:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/HR1587Support/172592816091215
 
Please note that if bill HR1587 does not pass during the lame duck session between now and January 3, 2011, a new bill will be introduced and we have to repeat this effort before the deadline of February 11, 2011.
 
This is paramount we all speak up now.  Every motorcyclists has to do this.  Contact your local dealer and get them involved as well.

Sincerely,
Tom L Shields
AMA Congress D-20